Naruto: Mikoto and Tsunade, don't let either of them go.

However, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Hinata Hyuga, being easily embarrassed, naturally couldn't admit to this relationship herself, so she blushed deeply.

Kabuto, naturally, wouldn't embarrass his future mistress in public. While everyone was still somewhat confused, he clapped his hands and changed the subject:

"Alright, the information we had before was just personal information. Now I'll tell you about the information on the various ninja villages."

Not far from them, Hyuga Neji and the others simply watched coldly.

Lee glanced at Sakura, who was still clinging to Sasuke, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"Neji, shall we go over and listen? It seems that senior has a lot of information."

Upon hearing Lee's words, Hyuga Neji's face revealed a cold smile as he looked at Yakushi Kabuto not far away and said:

"How much useful information could a guy like him, who has gone through countless Chunin Exams but still hasn't been promoted to Chunin, possibly have?"

At this point, Neji Hyuga glanced at Hinata Hyuga once more before continuing:

"The requirements for becoming a Chunin in Konoha are not actually that difficult. It tests not only your strength but also your wisdom as a ninja."

Regardless of which qualification they meet, they can be promoted to Chunin.

That guy hasn't become a Chunin after all these years; he's either incompetent or utterly worthless.

"It's best to stay away from people with impure motives."

Before Lee could say anything after hearing Neji Hyuga's words, Tenten, who had two cute little buns on her head and looked adorable, quickly nodded and said:

"That's right, Lee, Neji is right. It's best for us to avoid contact with people like that."

After hearing Neji and Tenten say this, Lee glanced at Sakura with some reluctance in his eyes, then scratched the back of his head and nodded, saying:

"Okay, then I won't go."

While Neji and Lee were talking, Kabuto Yakushi started sharing information about the various ninja villages.

However, just as Kabuto Yakushi finished recounting the information about Otogakure, he was immediately attacked and beaten by a disgruntled Otogakure ninja, who staged a self-inflicted injury.

At that moment, Ibiki Morino finally appeared. He first reprimanded the people from Otogakure, and after everyone was seated, he announced the rules for the first Chunin Exam.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Kakuzan, who was watching the footage, saw Morino Ibiki appear. Although he already knew Ibiki would be there, he still couldn't help but look at Ibiki's stern face and remarked:

"Tsunade-nee, are you trying to turn the exam room into an interrogation room by having Ibiki Morino preside over the first match?"

Chapter 452: Proud Asuma

Hearing Qiu Shanjun's words, Tsunade's lips curled into a smile. After glancing around and noticing they were all looking at her, she explained:

"When it comes to interrogation and applying psychological pressure, Ibiki Morino is a professional. I believe that anyone who can persevere under his pressure must have a good ability to withstand pressure."

This is also a quality required to become a Chunin. After all, becoming a Chunin means taking on the responsibility of leading Genin to complete missions. If you don't have good resilience under pressure, you'll only end up making a mess of things.

Before Uchiha Kagami could say anything after hearing Tsunade's words, the Jonin in the office nodded thoughtfully.

Seeing this, Uchiha Kakuzan said nothing more, but simply looked back at the huge crystal ball and asked:

"By the way, Tsunade, where are the Kazekage Rasa of Sunagakure and the Mizukage Mei Terumi of Kirigakure? Why weren't you with them on the day the Chunin Exams started?"

Upon hearing Uchiha Kakuyama's words, Tsunade took a sip of warm water from Shizune's hand, rolled her eyes at him, and said:

"I am not feeling well, so I will have the Third Hokage go in my place. Anyway, he is quite familiar with that Kazekage, so let him make the most of his remaining strength."

Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Uchiha Kakuyama said nothing more; he understood what Tsunade meant.

In truth, Orochimaru's current situation is inextricably linked to the actions of the Third Hokage. Therefore, it is only right for him, as the Third Hokage, to bear the consequences of Orochimaru's actions.

Just then, Asuma, who had been hiding from Uchiha Kakuzan, stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Tsunade and Uchiha Kakuzan beside her, and said:

"Fifth Hokage, I have something to report to you."

Upon hearing Sarutobi Asuma's words, Tsunade frowned slightly. Asuma had been quite obedient since being taught a lesson, and even though Tsunade hadn't given him the Ino-Shika-Cho team he wanted, he hadn't dared to raise any objections since.

However, to Tsunade's surprise, Asuma would step forward in this situation.

However, Tsunade wasn't one to act unilaterally. Although she sensed Asuma wouldn't say anything good, she still nodded and said:

"Asma, what's wrong? Is it about the students who participated in the competition?"

When Asuma heard Tsunade mention his student, a look of impatience immediately appeared on his face.

Because in Asuma's mind, the students Tsunade assigned to him were all good-for-nothings from poor families.

Not to mention those two ordinary students who were terrible in both ability and intelligence, even Sakura, who usually got good grades in exams, was terrible in terms of ability.

Moreover, apart from the Three Body Techniques taught at school, they didn't know a single ninjutsu.

This left Asma initially surprised, but ultimately filled with nothing but rage.

It's important to know that Asuma, as the youngest son of the Third Hokage, never lacked resources growing up, not to mention ninjutsu, which he could choose with his eyes closed.

Now, he's only been away for a few years, and the Hokage position has changed. This Tsunade, although he's his father's student, hasn't taken care of him at all.

He didn't even manage to get the Ino-Shika-Cho team he had his eye on; instead, he had to teach a few clueless civilian ninjas.

So, when Asuma saw Kakashi and the others recommending their students to participate in the Chunin Exams, he had a sudden inspiration and recommended his own students, who were extremely weak, as well.

Anyway, if these guys die in the Chunin Exams, I can get rid of them legitimately and become the instructor for the next batch of students.

Thinking of this, Asuma's lips curled up slightly, and the anger in his heart subsided considerably.

However, upon hearing Tsunade's question, Asuma snapped out of his reverie, straightened up slightly, and under Tsunade's gaze, a hint of smugness flashed in his eyes. His tone carried a touch of self-satisfaction as he spoke:

"Fifth Hokage, it seems that our Konoha Village forgot to invite the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to participate in this Chunin Exams."

So a few days ago I personally went to the daimyo prefecture and invited the daimyo over.”

At this point, Sarutobi Asuma proudly reached out and tugged at the square scarf with the Land of Fire's crest at his waist. This scarf was a symbol of his identity when he served as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas in the Daimyo's capital.

After adjusting (showing off) the square scarf around her waist, Asuma's eyes gleamed with even more pride. She subconsciously glanced at Kurenai Yuhi not far away, hoping to see admiration in her expression.

To his disappointment, Kurenai Yuhi didn't look at him at this moment. Instead, she looked at Uchiha Kagami on the other side with a gentle expression.

This discovery greatly displeased Asuma, but he dared not provoke Uchiha Kakuzan and Kurenai Yuhi, so he could only grit his teeth and continue:

"Lord Fifth Hokage, it's fortunate that I previously served as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas of the Daimyo's domain."

So the Daimyo and I are quite familiar with each other, and out of consideration for me, he didn't blame Konoha for forgetting to invite him to the Chunin Exams.

They've already made an appointment with me, saying they'll come to our Konoha Village to watch the final match in a while."

At this point, Asuma felt inexplicably guilty.

Because he knew very well that although he had served as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas of the Daimyo's Prefecture, the Daimyo did not value them very much.

The reason he was able to meet the daimyo this time was because he revealed his identity as the son of the Third Hokage, which allowed the daimyo to see him.

In fact, when Asuma met the Daimyo, he wasn't sure he could invite the Daimyo to Konoha to watch the Chunin Exams.

To his surprise, the Daimyo showed great interest after hearing his invitation, praising him highly and saying he would definitely make time to go to Konoha to watch the match.

Thinking of this, Asuma's face also showed a look of pride, and he continued:

"Fifth Hokage, rest assured, once the Daimyo arrives at our Konoha Village, I will certainly treat him well and ensure that he is not displeased and does not reduce our village's expenses because he thinks we have neglected him."

At this point, Asuma could no longer hide the pride on his face, because in his opinion, if it weren't for him, Konoha would have had its budget cut for neglecting the daimyo, and everyone in Konoha should be grateful to him.

Chapter 453: Rope Tree's Bold Words

Hearing Asuma's proud statement, not only Tsunade and Uchiha Kakuzan were stunned, but even Kurenai Yuhi and Kakashi were momentarily speechless.

In the end, they all looked at the brilliant man in front of them with a look that was hard to describe.

Uchiha Kakuzan raised an eyebrow slightly. He had now figured out Asuma's thought process. He looked at Kakashi beside him, waved his hand at him speechlessly, and gave the order:

"Kakashi, explain to Asuma the current relationship between our Konoha Village and the Daimyo's Mansion."

Hearing Lord Qiushan's words, Kakashi helplessly stroked his chin, then stepped forward, sighed, and explained to the somewhat bewildered Asuma:

“Asuma, you’ve been away from Konoha for quite a while, and since you came back, it seems you haven’t paid much attention to this matter, so there are some things you might not be aware of.”

Kakashi paused slightly at this point, and seeing that Asuma's attention had shifted to him, he continued:

"Ever since the Fifth Hokage took office, it feels like our Konoha Village has become too reliant on the Daimyo's funds."

Although we ninjas can also accept missions to earn funds, it's still far less than the funds we spend.

Therefore, the Fifth Hokage had already begun to address this situation several years ago.

Over the years, they have not only supported many caravans, but also acquired considerable territory and assets outside the Land of Fire.

And these revenues have been enough to cover all the expenses of our Konoha Village over the years.

Recently, it seems the Daimyo Prefecture has also sensed something is wrong, because they can no longer use funds to exert any control or influence over Konoha Village.

Therefore, they secretly targeted our Konoha Village's businesses. If we hadn't been careful enough, we wouldn't have caught them red-handed. Otherwise, the Hokage would have already confronted the Daimyo.

At this point, Kakashi looked intently into Asuma's eyes and continued:

"So, Asuma, the Daimyo is no longer a distinguished guest of our Konoha Village, but an enemy that hinders our development."

Asuma, upon hearing Kakashi's words, froze, utterly speechless.

Given Asuma's limited vision and magnanimity, he never imagined that Konoha Village could operate in such a way.

In his mind, it was only natural for Konoha to be subordinate to the Daimyo, who was the most noble person in the world. Even his father, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, could not compare to the Daimyo.

But what he heard today was that Konoha Village was no longer dependent on the Daimyo's government, but had reached the point of self-reliance.

This worldview-altering idea caused a violent upheaval in his mind, leaving him completely stunned.

Seeing Asuma's pathetic reaction, Kurenai Yuhi, not far away, curled her lips into a disdainful smile and sneered:

"Idiot, you haven't even figured out the situation, yet you presumptuously create all this stuff. Aren't you just causing trouble for the Hokage?"

Kurenai Yuhi wasn't targeting everyone, but the way Asuma, with his full beard, looked at her was disgusting every time she saw him. If this weren't the Hokage's office and there weren't many colleagues around, she would have taught him a lesson long ago.

That's why Kurenai Yuhi, seeing that he would do such a thing, naturally mocked him mercilessly.

Upon hearing Kurenai's words, Asuma realized what was happening, his face immediately turning bright red, looking rather flustered.

Even the square scarf he wore around his waist, representing the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, felt like a hot potato.

Because at this point, it no longer represents honor, but a disgrace.

Meanwhile, Tsunade, sitting behind her desk, pinched the bridge of her nose with a hint of helplessness before speaking:

"Alright, Asuma didn't mean it. Although our relationship with the Daimyo Prefecture has broken down, it's not good to openly sever ties with them. Let's treat him well and then send him back."

At this point, Tsunade turned her gaze back to Asuma and continued to instruct him:

"Asuma, once the daimyo arrives, you will be in charge of receiving him and ensuring his safety."

At this point, Tsunade paused before saying meaningfully:

"Speaking of which, this Chunin Exam might not be very peaceful. You should get some help from your Sarutobi clan, otherwise you might not be able to handle it on your own."

Asuma's mind was still elsewhere. Although he respectfully agreed to Tsunade's words, he seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Many people present noticed Asuma's distracted behavior, but none of them offered any further reminders.

After all, he didn't even care about the Hokage's reminder, so if I were to say something, it would be superfluous.

At that moment, Shizune, who had been secretly observing the scene inside the giant glass sphere, suddenly had a flash of inspiration and couldn't help but say to Tsunade:

"Lady Tsunade, Nawaki-sama has stood up, as if he wants to say something."

Upon hearing Jingyin's words, everyone turned their attention to the glass sphere, where a boy had already stepped forward.

When he first stood up, the boy was still trembling slightly, after all, he knew that the path he had chosen might have a very bad outcome.

But as he stood up, the trembling in his body gradually disappeared, and the emotion on his face slowly became impassioned. His eyes stared fearlessly at Morino Ibiki on the podium, and he shouted loudly:

"Even if I remain a genin forever, I will definitely become a Hokage that everyone admires!"

At this moment, Tsunade naturally understood what Nawaki was saying. A gentle light flashed in her eyes, and she couldn't help but speak:

"You overconfident brat, you think being Hokage is so easy?"

Hearing Tsunade's words, Shizune, who was standing nearby, said at the opportune moment:

"Lady Tsunade, Nawaki's wish has always been to become Hokage like you, and that wish has never changed. What he just said must have been his heartfelt words."

Upon hearing Shizune's words, Tsunade's expression softened, as if she had remembered something, and she continued:

“He doesn’t idolize me, but rather our great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather.”

At this point, Tsunade hesitated for a moment, then instructed Shizune beside her:

"Shizune, could you please go and tell that brat that if he does well in the Chunin Exams, I'll consider giving him the necklace back."